Most parents don't check age rating on video games

A study has shown that 64 per cent of UK parents do not check the age rating on games their children play

Parents buying video games have revealed that they do not check the age rating on titles they are supplying for their children's entertainment

The majority of parents do not check the age rating of the video games their children are playing a new survey has revealed.

The survey was conducted in the light of reports suggesting video games are fuelling a rise in aggressive behaviour in children, with violent games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty being singled out for criticism.

A study by Playr2.com found that almost two-thirds of parents admitted to not checking the age ratings of the games that their children play on home consoles. Over one thousand parents who have children under the age of seventeen that play video games were interviewed for the survey with 55 per cent of the focus group also confessing that they “did not think that age ratings mattered for video games.”

Interestingly, 61 per cent of parents do not believe that violent video games affect their children's behaviour in a negative way; with 76 per cent of these parents stating that violent games do not mirror real life and so did not believe that they could affect behaviour.

The survey also discovered that just over half of parents would not be concerned if their child was playing an 18+ game, but 54 per cent would be concerned if they found them watching an 18+ film.

“The affect that video games have on a child's behaviour is a consistent topic of debate, and one that regularly raises concerns,” said Simon Kilby, founder of Playr2.com. ““It was really surprising to see that the majority of parents admitted that they don't check age restrictions on games.

“At the end of the day, they're there for a reason due to the content of the game in question, and to ignore them is breaking the rules. I'd advise any parent to keep a close eye on the age restrictions on games. If you'd do the same for films, you shouldn't ignore them on games.”

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